Asthma Inhalers and Performance

Wow, I think that's a little ridiculous. I mean, wouldn't it fit that because some athletes have asthma, they are actually at a disadvantage, and the medications would just even it out? :shakeshead:

OK, I have to comment here because I have asthma and have encountered difficulty breathing when swimming in the past. I agree that there could be no kind of benefit from using an inhaler for those that do not have asthma. Asthma is an inflamation in the brochial tubes. If you don't have asthma, and thus no inflamation, using the inhaler would not help at all. I find that when I use my rescue inhaler, it actually causes me to cough more for a while, to clear out all that gunk in my lungs, and increases my heart rate for about 30 minutes (not to mention it makes me shakey). Don't all of those things make it harder to swim and not easier??? :dunno:

Haven't there been discussions here about age group swimmers being "diagnosed" with asthma and using inhalers to try and get a perceived advantage? I thought there was controversy about that before.

This is no knew news. This has been rather well accepted for at least 20 years in the medical world. I have moderate/severe asthma. I have huge lungs that don't always work so well. There are also studies that show that nonasthmatics receive no extra benefits from taking most drugs asthmatics use. A few years ago there was a great study published in one of the English medical magazines that details about a study that showed that asthmatic swimmers had specific changes to their lung structure that asthmatics who did not swim didn't have. Nonasthmatics who swim don't have nor do nonashtmatics who swim have these special structures. If i remember correctly it discussed how the shape of the cells of the smallest airways change their shape and th eair bags in the lung change also. This then causes the lung shape to change, especially the right lung and the lowest lobe.

Perhaps people have confused asthma drugs like clenbuterol with the drugs in inhalers? Or perhaps some inhalers/asthma medications contain stimulants or other drugs that have effects beyond dilation while others do not? Are all inhalers the same?

Percentage of general population diagnosed with breathing disorders that require the us of an inhaler; 2-3% Percentage of Olympic athletes diagnosed with same ailment and given the Ok to use an otherwise banned substance; 60%

Percentage of Olympic athletes diagnosed with same ailment and given the Ok to use an otherwise banned substance; 60% Percentage of people named Smith who pull stats from their arses - 100%.

Lindsay hit the nail on the head. The stimulant effect is what I feel after I take my inhaler. Personally, I think it is a slight advantage to use an inhaler prior to a race. John Smith

Percentage of people named Smith who pull stats from their arses - 100%. You must be thinking of one of the other two Smiths on this forum.... I've seen at least 3 articles with slight variations on those stats, here's just one: www.pullbuoy.co.uk/asthma.html I also just saw another in either USA Today or the Arizona Republic after the Harding fiasco. Face it, there are people who genuinely need this medication...and I'll assume that possibly a larger percentage of the population who are athletes suffer from it...and I'll even go so far as to say that at the highest elite level of sport those athletes suffer an even higher percentage per capita then either of the other groups listed....but I will also say the medication is a well known PED and that if there is a way to use it legally by getting an exemption than there are a fair amount who are "cheating" as well.

Perhaps people have confused asthma drugs like clenbuterol with the drugs in inhalers? Or perhaps some inhalers/asthma medications contain stimulants or other drugs that have effects beyond dilation while others do not? Are all inhalers the same? Clenbuterol is almost impossible to get in the USA. Dilators can't effect lungs that are normal. There is nothing in the drug that will help other period. Really think that it is jealousy of nonasthmatics who think we asthmatics get something special. Overall I have had many people tell me that it isn't fair that i get to take drugs for my lungs/. I always tell them that I don't think it is fair that they don't get to be rushed to an Er and almost die 2 to 3 times a year and spend tons of money on some of the most expensive drugs. Oddly it is only swimmers who say anything to me. Runners don't, rowers don't, soccer players don't.